Traveling long term as a couple

November 13, 2016

When you grab each other’s hands and take off on a trip with no return ticket, you’re either a bit crazy (which may be our case, I have to admit), or you’re positive that you’re a solid team and you’ll tackle everything that comes your way together!

We get asked a lot how it feels traveling long term as a couple, I hope this article answers some of your questions and gives you some useful insights. Long story short – we’re great together!

First, I think you need to know a little bit about us, about the way we were back home and our everyday life since we left. I tried to avoid this subject, because I put enough of myself out there on this blog already and I like to keep certain things for myself.

At home

We were living in a studio apartment, so we spent most of our time at home in close proximity, cooking together, laughing, watching movies, talking about anything that crossed our minds.

On the road

For more than 9 months, we’ve been together 24/7 and nothing has changed: we’re still laughing and having fun.

This is something we talked about with many other traveling couples. Being together non stop is not the easiest thing, but it’s a good opportunity to be at your best as a team! Some days, we ask one another: “How was your day?”, even though we know everything that happened, we were there!

So we’re a great team. Not because of all our qualities, but in spite of all our flaws. You won’t find the perfect man or woman on this earth, but if you’re lucky, you can find the perfect man or woman FOR YOU!

He’s the one who keeps my feet on the ground when my ideas get a little too crazy. He’s also more introverted and discreet. He tempers me in a way that doesn’t hold me back, because often times his ideas are just as crazy as mine, but he knows better where to draw the line.

I recommend every couple to go on a longer trip together before getting married! Take at least one month off and travel the world! You’ll learn more about one another while traveling, discover if you’re compatible on the long run. You’ll either love it or hate it. If you find out you don’t like each other as much, at least you won’t have to bother having a wedding!

Traveling long term as a couple if you’re planning to still have a relationship at the end of the trip

Let’s recap to make sure everything’s clear: we didn’t leave home because we were bored, to spice up our relationship or anything like that. We left trusting each other 100%, without any resentment or hesitations towards what our future might hold. We got to live together for more than a year so we knew each other well enough.

Make sure you still love each other

If you’re not 100% sure you still love the person next to you, being together 24/7 isn’t going to help!

Be honest about what you feel

Don’t let tension build up, talk! Are you tired of walking? Tell him you need to rest! Are you hungry? Eat, don’t starve until the other one gets hungry too. You’ll become edgy and nothing good can come of it. Just talk, communicate!

Be patient

Maybe sometimes he’s too slow, tired, bored, it’s not like if you’re traveling you don’t go through the same moods as back home. Just be patient and understanding!

Try to adapt to each other’s needs

Don’t make the other do things they don’t want to do just for your sake. Everyone has his own limits, try to respect each other’s.

Do things for yourself as well

Are you hungry? Eat! Are you tired? Sleep! You feel like exploring and they don’t? Go for it! Don’t wait on one another for the simplest things. You need to understand that everybody needs some time for themselves every now and then. Spend some time apart and do what you want: read, do yoga, go for a run, write about your trip, whatever!

I’m not the best at relationship advice so I don’t know how much sense this makes. Things happen naturally for us so I had to really try to understand what makes us so good of a team.

Maybe we’re a little addicted to each other as well. We don’t know if it’s normal or not but we’re not looking for answers, we like our little feel-good-bubble and we love traveling long term as a couple!

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About

Simona & Alex, Romanian digital nomads, on the road since 13th of February 2016!
No return tickets, no regrets!
We want to share with the world our adventures, our lessons and all the wonderful places we travel to, or plan to go!
Owners of www.lipa-lipa.ro - one of the best travel blogs in Romania!